Stamp-vending machine.



L. TOWNSEND.

STAMP VENOING MACHINE. Armcmou mtu sur. zo. ms.

1,196,905. PawnwdSept. 5,1916.

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.' pocket or recess LOGAN TOWNSEND, OF BOLCKOW, MISSOURI.

STAMP-VENDING MACHINE.

Speoioation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application nled September 28, 1915. Serial No. 52,981.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, LOGAN TowNsaND, a citizen Vof the United States, residing at Bolckow, in the county of Andrew, State of Missouri have invented a new and useful Stamp-Vrending Machine; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description o the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it plpertains to make and use the same.

e resent invention relates to a com actuated) vending machine for use in selling postage stamps, and has for its object to provide a vending machine of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby postage stamps can be handled in roll form and one stamp unrolled and severed at each actuation of the machine.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a stamp vending machine .whichis comparatively simple and inexpensive in its operation which can be easily mampulated, which will eject but a sin le stamp at each actuation thereof, and w ich can not be operated until after a coin has been properly inserted into the same. i

With these and other objects in view, the inventionfconsists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description pro ceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appendedA claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawing, in which I Fi re 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectiona view throu h a stamp vendin '-machine constructed 1n accordance with .t e in, vention. Fig.` 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig-4 is-a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1---4v of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan viewof the stamp strip cutting mechanism. y

Corresponding and like parts a-re referred to in the ollowing description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference' characters.

Referring to the drawings, vwhich serve to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a casing which may be mounted in-any suitable manner, being provided at ythe bottom thereofwlthv'a 2 into which the hand can be inserted to withdraw the stamp after the actuation of the machine. the casing 1 from the back thereof is a pair of corresponding brackets 3 and 4, said brackets being provided with bearings withinwhich the respective shafts 5 and 6 are journaled. These shafts 5 and 6 are transversely disposed and arranged in alinemcnt with each other, the outer shaft 5 projecting through an opening 7 in the side of the casing 1 and having an operating crank handle 8 applied thereto. The adjacent ends of the shafts 5 and 6 are provided respectively with a coin wheel 9 and an operating wheel 10, said wheels being of substantially the same size and being arranged side by side, so that by locking the wheels together the shafts 5 and 6 can be caused to rotate in unison.

The coin wheel 9 is formed with a deep peripheral groove 11 and also with a radially disposed transverse coin receiving groove 12 intersecting the peripheral groove 11 and extending through the side of the wheeladjacent the operating wheel 10 so as to be susceptible of registering with a similar coin receiving oov'e 13 in the operating wheel 10. When t e grooves 12 and 13 are brought into registry with each other and a coin 14 inserted into the same, the said coin will act as a key to lock the wheels 9 and 10 together. A coin ejecting wire 15 extends through the peripheral groove 11 of the coin 'wheel 9 at the front of the wheel, the upper end of the wire being secured at 16 to the back of the casing 1, while the lower end of the wire'is secured to an arm 17 projecting from the back-of the casing. The lower end y ofthe wire 15 is--inclined .downwardly and rearwardly so astohave an easy inclination which will tend to gradually force the coin 14 downwardly and outof the coin receiving slot"`12 when the coin -wheel 9 is rotated `throu h'the medium of the operating crank 8 torlngl the coin -to the ottom of the wheel. T e coinfislthusjpositively ejected from the slot of-the coin wheel 9when the said vcoiiiwheel has been ita'teda sullicient amount to lunwind a single stamp from the stam roll.'-The coin ejectingv w1re 15 may also caused LtoV frictionally engage the base of the groove I11 ofthe' operating wheel so as to hol the wheel against accidental rotation. When 4the coin 14 is ejected by the 1 wire 15 from the'coin slot 12, it is directed by a suitable chute 18 into-a coin. collecting Projecting into pocket 19. At the top of the casing 1 a coin slot 22 is provided for the insertion of a coin into the machine, a chute 23 serving to direct the coin from the slot 22 into the 3 coin recelvmg slot 12 of the coin wheel 9.

A suitable spring 24 is provided for returnin the com wheel 9 to original osition after each actuation of the mac iine. In order to prevent the coin wheel 9 from being rotated backward and thereby causing the mechanism to operate backward as well as ejecting the coin from the coin slot 12 without furnishing a stamp, the coin wheel 9 is provided at its perip ery with a ratchet 45 which is engaged by a pawl 4G pivoted upon a bracket 47 secured to the arm 17 projecting from the back of the casing. A plunger rod 48 is pivotally connected to the pawl and is slidably mounted in a standard 49 which projects upwardly from the arm 17 between the wheels 9 and 10, the said plunger rod being provided at its outer end with a head or knob 50. A sprin 51 is interposed between the knob 50 and tie standard 49, said spring normally holding the pawl in engagement with the ratchet on wheel 9, although when pressure is exerted upon the knob 50 the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet. It will be obvious t iat the wheel 9 may rotate forwardly, the ratchet teeth sliding under' the pawl, but backward rotation of the wheel 9 is prevented. It is necessary, however, to disengage the )awl from the ratchet, so as to allow the w ieel to return to its original position after having been rotated to eject a stamp. For this purpose the wheel 9 is shown as provided on the inner side thereof near its periphery with a lug 52 which upon the forward rotation of the wheel 9 strikes the knob 50 on the plunger rod 48 so as to disengage the pawl 46 from the ratchet to allow the wheel to return to its original position after the coin has been ejected. The forward end of the pawl is provided with a rigid extension or arm 53, which when the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet, swings upwardlyand rests upon the end of a detent 54 ivotedto the standard 49, as indicated by otted lines upon Fig. 2. This detent 54 is connected by means of a link 55 to a plunger rod 56 which is slid ably mounted u on the standard .49.and extends rearward y.therefrom, the said plunger being providedvwith a knob 57 upon its outer end; .A .spring '58,is..interposed'be tween the knobg57 and the standard 49 and normall tends to force thedetent 54into the position shownby dotted lines on Fig. 2, although thisaction vis,A normally prevented by the end ofthe extension 53 upon the pawl 46. `As soon as the wheel 9 returns to its.v original position the knob 57 on plunger rod'56 is struck by a second lug 59 upon thel coin wheel 9 thereby withdrawing the detent 53 from beneath the extension upon pawl 46, which .allows the pawl to again swing into engagement with the ratchet and prevent backward rotation of the wheel 9.

The operating wheel 10 is loose upon the inner transverse shaft 6, although it has a pawl and ratchet connection 26 therewith so that the shaft 6 is rotated upon the forward movement of the operating wheel 10, although the said operating wheel can return to its original position independently of the shaft 6. A suitable spring 27 is applied to the operating wheel for returning it to normal position with the coin slot 13 thereof under the` coin tube 23, after each actuation of the machine. iVith this construction it will be apparent that when a coin 14 is dropped through the slot 22 in the top of the casing, the coin will be directed by the chute 23 into the registering coin receiving slots 12 and 13 of the coin wheel 9 and operating wheel 1() respectively, thereby locking the two wheels together. The operating crank 8 is then rotated until the coin is forcibly ejected from the slots by the wire 15, and the interlocking connection between the two wheels broken. Upon this forward rotation of the coin wheel 9 the operating wheel 10 and shaft 6 will also be rotated, although as soon as the coin is ejected the operating wheel 10 will be returned to normal position by the spring 27 and the interlocking connection between the two wheels broken so that any amount of rotation of the coin wheel 9 in a forward direction will not result in anymovement of the o erating wheel, and backward rotation of t e wheel 9 is prevented by the pawl 46. A person may continue to manipulate the operatin crank 8 in a forward direction, althoug no more stamps will be ejected until another coin is placed in the machine. As soon as the operating crank 8 is released, the spring 24 will return the coin wheel 9 to its original position.

Keyed upon the inner end of the shaft 6 is a pinion-28 which meshes with a gear wheel 29 upon a shaft 30 which is journaled upon a forked bracket 31 and has a feed roll 32 rigidly applied thereto. A coperating feed roll 33 is applied to a shaft 34 which is parallel to the shaft 30 and is also journaled upon the forked bracket 3l. The strip 35 of stam s passes between the two feed rolls 32 an 33 as it is unwound from the stamp roll 36 which is ap lied to a shaft 37 carried b a pair of brac ets 38 projecting from the ack of the casing at the top thereof. The relation between the pinion 28 and gear wheel 29 is such that upon each actuation of the coin wheel 9 and operating wheel 10, the feed rolls 32 and 33 will be rotated just a sufficient amount to unwind one stamp from the stamp roll 36.

The stamp stri 35 extends downwardly from the feed rol s 32 and 33, the lower end thereof being carried between a fixed blade 39 and a movable cutting blade 40. An upright guide strip 41 extends between the feed rolls and the fixed blade 39 so as to direct the stamp strip 35 in its movements and cause the lower end thereof to be proporly projected downwardly below the fixed blade 39 when the coin control mechanism is operated. The cuttin blade 40 is shown as carried by a air o swinging arms 42 which are pivota ly mounted upon a fixed blade 39, and one end of the cutting blade is formed with a handle 43 which extends through an opening 44 in one side of the casin 1. By pushin inwardly upon this handi 43 the cutting lade 40 is moved into engagement with the fixed blade 39 so as to sever that portion of the stam stri 35 which was projecting below the ed b ade, the severed end of the stamp strip dropping into the before mentionedpocket 2 at the bottom of the casing, from which it can be withdrawn by the hand. As previously explained, the gearing 28 and 29 is so proportioned that a length of the stamp stri 35 corresponding to the length of a sing e stamp will be unwound from the stamp roll 36 each time the machine is actuated, thereby causing a single stam to be severed by the knife 40 and remov from the recess 2 each time a coin is inserted in the machine inddthe operating crank handle 8 manipuate Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described including a casing, an outer shaft journaled within the casing, an inner shaft Journaled within the casing and arranged in alinement with the Iouter shaft, an operating handle Copies et thia'patent my be obtained for upon the outer shaft, a coin wheel applied to the outer shaft, an operating wheel upon the inner shaft, said wheels having an opposed relation to each othei` and being provided with eorresponding coin receiving slots, so that a coin within the slots will loc the two wheels together, one of said wheels being also provided with a peripheral groove intersecting the said coin slot, and coin ejecting means arranged within said peripheral groove, so as to eJect the coin from the com slots after the wheels have been rotated a predetermined distance.

2. A device of the character described including a casing, an outer shaft journaled within the casing, an inner shaft journaled within the casing and arranged in alinement with the outer shaft, an operatin handle upon the outer shaft, a coin whee applied to the outer shaft and rovided at the peripherg1 thereof with ratc et teeth, an operating w eel applied to the inner shaft, Sai wheels having an opposed relation to each other and being provided with corresponding coin receiving slots, so that a coin within the slots will lock the wheels together, means for normall preventin rotation of the coin wheel in a ackward irection, said means consisting of a pawl engaging the ratchet teeth upon the coin wheel, an means for temporarily disengaging the said pawl from the coin wheel when the same has been rotated a predetermined distance in a forward direction, so as to allow the coin wheel to rotate backward to its original position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOGAN TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

W. W. Bns'r, W. C. TowNsnNn.

me cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner ot Patents, Washington. D. 0." 

